There is increasing interest in foodstuffs having a reduced caloric content, and especially in low-calorie, baked goods. Such baked goods are desirable for reducing body weight in persons who are obese, without using appetite suppressants, and also for preventing unwanted weight gain in normal persons. One approach to reducing the caloric value of baked goods has been to replace part of the flour or other carbohydrate components (e.g., sugar or starch) with agents which are substantially non-digestible, and hence low in calories. For example, various forms of purified plant cellulose, such as alpha-cellulose sold under the tradename "Solka-Floc," and microcrystalline cellulose sold under the tradename "Avicel," have been proposed as partial flour substitutes.
When these conventional cellulose materials are used as a bulking agent in a food recipe, the final food product is not smooth, has a fibrous mouthfeel when chewed, gives the impression of the presence of an additional insoluble or residual substance, and tends to accumulate in the mouth. Soluble cellulose derivatives have also been used as bulking agents but tend to form unpalatable, gummy masses in the mouth. It is generally agreed, however, that calorie reduction of as high as 33% to 75% in baked goods is extremely desirable, and heretofore it has not been possible to achieve these calorie reduction levels by the use of cellulosic flour replacement alone to produce a high quality product.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,452,750, granted to Halliday et al, teaches treating pectinaceous cellulose material (citrus wastes) with acid, thereby solubilizing a major portion of the pectinaceous component, adjusting the moisture content, adding a lubricating material and, finally, shearing and flaking the material to form very thin flakes wherein the cellulosic fibers have been disrupted and made readily hydratable. The Halliday process yields a supplemental food product which is claimed to have medicinal and therapeutic value.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,359, granted to Stansbary et al, teaches a process for producing an albedo-based food product, specifically a cereal which comprises treating albedo with water or a salt solution (calcium chloride or sodium chloride) to form a paste which is boiled to remove bitter constituents (while optimally at the same time minimizing the removal of pectin and sugars), extracting the liquids, treating with a soluble salt to increase viscosity and then spreading out the albedo paste and baking said paste to produce a dry, crisp product.
While the prior art discloses a highly-nutritious food product derived from albedo, there is a need for the production of a low-calorie bulking agent which is substantially flavorless and colorless and which could be used as a partial replacement for high-caloric constituents.